The St. Johns River (commonly misspelled as the St. John's River) is the longest For the Second World War frigate class, see River class frigate The Murray River in Australia A waterfall on the Ova da Fedoz, Switzerland A river is a large natural waterway. ...river in the The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, the States, or (archaically) Columbia — is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ...U.S. state of State nickname: Everglade State, Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  _ Land 137,374 km²  _ Water 30,486 km² (17. ...Florida, stretching 310 miles (500 km) from Indian River County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. ...Indian River County to the The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second_largest ocean, covering approximately one_fifth of its surface. ...Atlantic Ocean in Duval County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. ...Duval County. It is one of only a handful of World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and in population after Eurasia and Africa. ...North American rivers that flow from South to North. The elevation change from headwaters to mouth is only about 30 feet, making the St. Johns one of the world's "laziest" rivers. This slow flow makes it difficult for pollutants to be flushed from the waters, which has become a serious problem for the river In ecology, an ecosystem is a community of organisms (plant, animal and other living organisms _ also referred as biocenose) together with their environment (or biotope), functioning as a unit. ...ecosystem. Despite the pollution the river is home to numerous species. It is not uncommon to see This article is about the dolphin mammal. ...dolphins in the river north of Jacksonville redirects here. ...Jacksonville, Species Trichechus inunguis Trichechus manatus Trichechus senegalensis Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large aquatic mammals sometimes known as sea cows. ...manatees in the springtime when the water warms up, This article refers to the large reptile. ...alligators, Binomial name Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a raptor that is indigenous to North America, and is the national symbol of the United States of America. ...bald eagles, Binomial name Pandion haliaetus ( Linnaeus, 1758) The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a medium large raptor which is a specialist fish_eater with a worldwide distribution. ...ospreys, This article is about the fish. ...stingrays, and many species of fish, both salt and fresh water.

The three basins

The upper (southern) basin of the river has indistinct banks, with numerous The term slough (In the UK, pronounced to rhyme with cow; In the US, pronounced slew) has several meanings related to wetland or aquatic features that seem to derive from local experience. ...sloughs and See lagoon (disambiguation) for other possible meanings. ...lagoons, often pooling into ponds and lakes. Some of the larger lakes are known today as Lake Hell 'n' Blazes, Sawgrass Lake, Lake Washington, Lake Winder, Lake Poinsett, Ruth Lake, Puzzle Lake, Lake Harney, Lake Jesup and Lake Monroe.

Below Lake Harney, the river is joined by the Econlockhatchee River, and runs between higher bluffs on either side, forming the middle basin. This part of the river runs through what is now the Facts The Ocala National Forest is the 2nd largest National Forest in Florida and is the closet to a major city than any other national forests in Florida. ...Ocala National Forest. After the English acquisition of Florida from Spain in Events Neolin begins to preach. ...1762, English explorer William Bartram (April 20, 1739 _July 22, 1823) was an American naturalist, the son of John Bartram. ...William Bartram was sent by George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738–29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain, and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ...King George III to explore the territory. In his subsequent book Travels, Bartram called the middle basin a "...blessed land where the gods have amassed into one heap all the flowering plants, birds, fish and other wildlife of two continents in order to turn the rushing streams, the silent lake shores and the awe_abiding woodlands of this mysterious land into a true garden of Eden." Here the river forms the broad and shallow For other bodies of water with the same name, see Lake George. ...Lake George, where marine sharks have been seen in drought years where the normally rain_fed freshwaters of the river cannot fight back the inflowing Atlantic salt water.

The lower (northern) basin begins where the largest A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ...tributary of the St. Johns, the Ocklawaha River, joins the flow. (Both rivers are part of the modern Caravelle Ranch Wildlife Management Area.) It passes through the historic city of Palatka is a city located in Putnam County, Florida. ...Palatka, Florida, then through unspoiled riverine bottomland hardwoods, pine flatwoods and sandhill communities, on its way to Jacksonville.

Past Jacksonville, the river becomes an Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing numerous ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits and services. ...estuary, where fresh and salt water meet, and a wide diversity of living species inhabit the islands, inlets, sounds, streams and marshes of the area.

History and names

The river basin was the home to the native Timucua The Timucua were a Native American tribe that lived in North Central Florida, mainly around the St. ...Timucua tribes, who called it Welaka, or "river of lakes".

In the early Centuries: 15th century _ 16th century _ 17th century Decades: 1450s 1460s 1470s 1480s 1490s _ 1500s _ 1510s 1520s 1530s 1540s 1550s Years: 1500 1501 1502 1503 1504 1505 1506 1507 1508 1509 1510 Events and Trends Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa External links 1500_1524 Events 1500_1509 Events Categories...1500s, Spanish explorers called the river Río de Corrientes, or "river of currents".

An expedition of French In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name of Huguenots came to apply to members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France. ...Huguenots landed at the mouth of the river on May 1, 1562, and thus called it Rivière du Mai, or "river of May". In Events March 8 _ Naples bans kissing in public in the penalty of death June 22 _ Fort Caroline, the first French attempt at colonizing the New World September 10 _ The Battle of Kawanakajima Ottoman Turks invade Malta Modern pencil becomes common in Philippines Births February 6 _ Christopher Marlowe, English poet and...1564, a bluff overlooking this site (St. Johns Bluff) became the location of Fort Caroline was the first permanent French colony in North America, located near present_day Jacksonville, Florida. ...Fort Caroline, the first In various forms, France had colonial possessions since the beginning of the 17th century until the 1960s. ...French colony in North America. This fort was captured by the Spanish from St. ...St. Augustine a little over a year after it was founded.

The conquering Spanish renamed the river (and the fort) San Mateo, after Matthew the Evangelist (מתי Gift of the LORD, Standard Hebrew and Tiberian Hebrew Mattay; Septuagint Greek Ματθαιος, Matthaios) is traditionally believed to be the author of the Gospel of Matthew. ...Saint Matthew, whose feast day fell the day after their victory over the French.

A The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...Catholic A mission literally means something that is sent, from the Latin word missum, sent. Thus we may refer to space exploration expeditions as space missions, or to a diplomatic outpost in a foreign territory as a diplomatic mission. Christian missions are movements or outposts of Christian proselytism. ...mission named The Catholic mission of San Juan del Puerto was founded on Fort St. ...San Juan del Puerto was founded on Fort St. George Island near the river's mouth around 1578, and in time the river came to be known as Río de San Juan. This was translated St. Johns River in English, and this name has remained intact through colonization, war, and the creation of the United States.

Today

As the St. Johns River flows through the city of Jacksonville redirects here. ...Jacksonville, Florida it is spanned by seven bridges (see below). The Jacksonville Port Authority (often abbreviated JAXPORT) facilities at the mouth of the St. Johns river make up Florida's second largest Categories: Stub | Commercial item transport and distribution | Transportation ...port. In fiscal year 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...2003, JAXPORT handled over 1,500 ships, delivering almost 700,000 containers and over 500,000 cars. Some of the major local commodities include Gypsum is a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. Chemical structure Gypsum from New South Wales, Australia Heating gypsum above approximately 150°C (302°F) partially dehydrates the mineral, by driving off exactly 75% of the water contained in its chemical structure. ...gypsum and Oil is a generic term for organic liquids that are not miscible with water. ...oil.

The The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ...U.S. Navy maintains the Navy Air Station Jacksonville and The USS departing NS Mayport, Florida Naval Station Mayport is a major U. S. Navy base near Jacksonville, Florida. ...Naval Station Mayport near the river's mouth.

See also

• This is a partial list of rivers in the U.S. state of Florida. ...List of Florida rivers
• The St. ...St. John River, in State nickname: The Pine Tree State Other U.S. States Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Governor John Baldacci Official languages None Area 86,542 km² (39th)  _ Land 80,005 km²  _ Water 11,724 km² (13. ...Maine and This article is about the Canadian province; for the city in New Jersey, see New Brunswick, New Jersey. ...New Brunswick

External links

• Tour and History of the St. Johns River (http://sjr.state.fl.us/welcome/river-tour/river-tour.html)